A Generation Passes…. and New Ones Begin

Dear readers, I’ve been away from sewing, and posting on this blog for a long time. You see, I was occupied with saying goodbye to my Mother. She was the last member of the previous generation in my immediate family. Much as I did my best to keep her comfortable, it pained me to see her decline; but decline we all must.

Ammi Composite
Left, photographer unknown, circa 1954. Right, photo by Ashley Reed, 2015. Ashley, age 22, was one of my mother’s outstanding caregivers. Picture composite by Junaid Razvi.

Habiba Razvi

1925 – 2015

Rest in Peace, Ammi

She passed on just a week short of welcoming her first great-grandchild. A baby boy was born to my niece to kick off the newest generation in my family.  Both proud mamas are pictured below, bonding with their first born babies, both boys. Top, my mother and brother in 1949. Below, my niece bonding with her baby, circa 2015. 

Photographer unknown (could be my dad or uncle), circa 1949
Photographer unknown (could be my dad or uncle), circa 1949
Photo credit: Chapman family
Photo credit: Chapman family

Below are my parents as newlyweds. Don’t be thrown by the serious looks on their faces; they were blissfully happy.

Aziz-Habiba
Photo credit: Central Studio in Hyderabad, India. Circa 1948. Not sure the studio exists anymore.

A word about what my Mother is wearing in the photo above – it’s a gunmetal gray metallic silk sari embellished with star-shaped border appliques. I remember her wearing it a lot on special occasions, but am not sure what happened to it. I do remember that the appliques were made with silver ribbon folded into a star shape. Being a crafty kid, I paid attention to that sort of thing. Someday, I’ll try to re-create it.

Below, a photo of Habiba at a great point in her educator career. She was the Head of her department at a university, and thus got to welcome no other than the Queen of England, Elizabeth II. You know… one of the times when British monarchs decide to visit former colonies. As a little girl I remember the preparations and excitement for the event.

Ammi and Queen2
Photographer unknown. Circa 1960

While I decompress and welcome my first grand-nephew, I will have to say that there will be very few new posts on this blog for the next 2-3 months.

However, we have to make a wedding reception happen!! My daughter and son-in-law will be celebrating their marriage right here in her hometown!

Photo credit: Junaid Razvi, 2015
Photo credit: Junaid Razvi, 2015

Until the next post, happy sewing!

Samina

10 thoughts on “A Generation Passes…. and New Ones Begin

  1. I’m sorry for your loss, Samina. Thank you so much for sharing the beautiful photos with us. I wish you and your family much happiness in getting to know the new generation and with the upcoming wedding celebration.

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  2. Samina, my deepest sympathies on your loss. Your mother had many wonderful experiences in her life. She undoubtedly was a ‘woman of substance’ and left you with many happy memories. And congratulations on the happy events to come.

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    1. Thanks, Sue. She was definitely a “woman of substance”; I am told by many of her younger friends and cousins how they “looked up” to her. I can almost hear her giggling at the idea….

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  3. Samina, I am sorry for your loss of your mother. Mothers are amazing in many ways, and yours had a remarkable, full, long life. What beauty in her loving gaze at baby and how timeless. How wonderful that you have new additions to the family to celebrate at the same time as you mourn and remember your mother.

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  4. […] My personal life was eventful in the first half of 2015. There was a wedding, a birth and a death in my family – in the reverse order, though. My mother passed away, a week later my niece gave birth to the first baby of the newest generation of the family, and my daughter got married (happiest day ever). All this happened within three months. The rest of the year, I combined travel with some at-home unwinding. […]

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